Electric lantern.



F. T. BAIRD.

{LECTRH} LANTERN. APPLICATIONW'HLED 95cm, 1916.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. T. BAIRD. t ELECTRIC LANTERN. APPLICATION min DEc.4, Isle.

Patented. Aug. 13, 1918.

mmm.

A iiNiTEn sfrarns arene cientes,

FRANK T. BAIBD, OF BLUE ISLAND,A ILLNIS.

ELECTRIC Laminate T o. ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it .known that I, FRANK T. BAIRD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blue Island. in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois. have invented a certain new and useful"Improvement in Electric Lanterns, ot'

` which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to portal-ile lanterns for trainmen and othei's. The .lantern haselectric lamps energized from a storage battery within the body' of the lantern and in s'ome respects is analogous to the lantern shown in my issued Patent, Number 1,088,- 12()..granted to ine February 24th. 191i.

j()ne of the objects of my present invention is to provide improved mechanism operated b v the bail ot' the lantern for switching the liattery current on to and off of the lamp'. Another object is to provide a yielding inter lockinlgy mechanism to prevent accidental ro- `tation of'tlie cam which operates the switch,

land to prevent acciilcntal movement ot' the rod wliichfoperates the switch. Another object is to provide against rattling of the, parts within the casing' when the lantern is in service. Another object is to provide a construction lendinglr itself lto a change in thil number ot lamps which may ylie lighted.

I obtain my objects by the 'mechanism illustrated iii the accompanying drawings, in

which Figure 1 is an elevation of the complete ilantern; chiefly. in axial section.

Figfl is a perspective view ot the ver- Mtically moving' rod which operates the main switch.

y Figs. 3 andi-t are views showing positions of said rod and its operating" mechanism.

l Fig. 5 is a sect/lona detail ot the cam plate Aandthe head'of-the switch rod.

Fig. (ilisa sectional view showinpr one of the bail trunnion's and associated parts.

F ig'pT is a plan Isection on the line 7 4?,

Fig. S'iisa perspective view ot' the battery Figs. 97 1Y0, 11 and 12 are respectiveviews of Various component elements of tern. f

Fig. 13 is' a sidefyiew of the bottom `'lamp socket.

Fig. 14C is a plan View, on areduced scale, showing the retaining spring and-associated parts immediately beneath the lantern cover. Fig. 15 is .a sectionalview showing' one of the bail trunnions and associated parts. f

Similar numerals 'refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The body or barrel of the lantern consists i of a asing l having a convex bottoni 2 and supported upon legs 3 or' any suitable. type. At the ltop of the casing is a cover 4. .-.The bail 5 is pivoted upon trunnion pins which pass through the sides of the casing' as liest shown in Fig. 1. These will be hereinafter described in detail. According to the present design, the lower end of the hails bear.

against bosses 7, i which are brazed or otherwise secured to the sides of the casing.

The battery has a \\'atertiglit easing 1t) iiiclosed within a jacket 1l.' In the form selected to illustrate the invention, this battery is a socalled "dry"r cell ot' cylindrical t'orni having terminal strips l2, l2 leading rdown from the top ofthe battery along the supports the center tern'iinal 13 of the battery.' A screw 2O screws into center contact 1S and forms a center contact for the 4lamp socket at the bottoni of the lantern. This socket has an external shell 21 which is in permanent electric Contact with the main switch 22 which is resilient and When upf 'wai-diy pressed engages the lug 23 formed the lan- Specicetion of Letters Patent. Patntjtf AuU'.' 13, H1918." v Application inea December -4, 191e. senin No. 134,871; I

upon the ring i9, as best sown in and 3. Said ring forms the outer tor engaging and supporting the onto a vdouble cluster screwed into it er having two pull sockets 24 se- 'eorrrnodat'ing the lamps i8 and ES .pee tively.` lilith thisarrangeinent, the a teL may be used by train'men to give signals by using different eoiorel'lig.; is, l instance, the bulb of one of the latir j be red andthe other White or grae dependingV upon requirenieizitsy` may then show either one ei colors, or `.both or neither or them.

From the foregoing, it will be the current may be tnrne( on or olif t by movingthe switch 'agement with the lug; l he mechanism for accomplishing; uns; now be described.

Arranged along one side of the eas. between it and the battery, the i Fig. l) is a rod 31 which has a s its lower end. This screw en; pz; under side of the switch 22 and wl raises said switch into en electrical Contact with the lng;F forms a part of the Contact if). the screw is adjustable and. the rod somewhat resilient. they attoitl nieai regulating the amount of pressure' n the screw shall exert upon the switch or a given amount of vertical movement of the rod. The means `for operating the 'rod rert-ically are shown in detail in il and 4. At the upper end of the. rod is a. ola which has a vertical slot Sil see also 2) which accommodates the trnnnioo nin 35. Said pin is shown at. the left of liggg. l, and in detail in Fig. 15. Said 'pin is rotatable and journaled in the side ot the casing 1. It has a squared portion 3G which fits into a square hole in the louer end ot' the bail 5 with the result, that the vpin will be rotated when the bail is swung' 'from side to side. A nut 37 screws on to the outer end ot'lsaid pin to hold the parte as sembled. Pin 85 also has a squared non tion 38 near its inner end whifh Hts in a square hole in the rain 39. An actuating); arm 40 is rigidly fastened to the inner e n ,of the pinA and consequently rotates. in

nemesio i6 of the frame which supports the battery. This prevents sidelash or rattling of the battery support in the casing. The plate has a. flange 43 into which the nose of the earn fits when the parts -are in the position shown in Fig. 3. A tongue 44 is pressed out of the earn 39 and is in positionto be engaged by the arm 40 when the latter is rotated. The parts are so Constructed and proportioned that when the hail stands upright.` ity may be swung through a eonsiderable angle, for examplcmore than 180 de- Without engaging the tongue 44. lWhen the @am is in normal position shown in Fig. 8, the plate and rod 31 will be lowered to the position shown in Fig. l and the lamps will not. be energized. By -rotating the bail to an eXtreme position toward the right (Figs), 3 and 4). .the arm if() will engage the stile of thetongue 44 and rotate the cani to the'position shown in Fig. 4. This will raise the switch-operating rod 31 and bring the main switch Q2 into engagenfunty with the lug' 23 on the contact ring 24 and thus cause the lamps to be energized. After the lamps have been thus energized the bail may he swung through a wide angle on each side of the normal nip-right position without ali'ccting the switch-operating arm 3l because. as `will be seen from Figs. 3 and 4. the arm 4() which rotates in unison with the bail, can swing through a wide angle without engaging the tongue. When it is desired to extinguish the lamps. the bail is swung far to the lett (Figs. 2 and l until arm() engages the`top or tongue movement ot the bail Will return the cam to the position shown in Fig. 8. In order to give freedom of movement to the bail without alim-ting the lamps,k the parts yare so designed that the artn. 40 will not en the tongue 44 on one side until the bail is swung down almost into engagement with the legs of the lantern and will not enffaee the tongue on lthe other side until the haii has been swung clown on the other side almost into engagement with the legs. n other Words, there is a great deal of lost mot-ion and it is only at the eXtreme limits of the throw o the bail that it will opeate to lighty or extinguish the lamps.

ln order to insure against accidental rotation of the cam 39. two holes '-iT and t are punched in the plate 33, and a boss 49 is pressed into the earn in Such position as to snap into one or the other of said holes and thus yieldingly hold the cani in one or the other of its principal positions.

lt is desirable that. the bail stand upright at certain times or that it andthe lantern body tend to more as a single unit. This effect is obtained chiefly through the mechanism illustrated in detail in Fig. 6. The

44,after which a slight, additional upward from said switch to and being operated by said rotatable arm.

2. An electric lantern having an outer casing, a bail pivote-d to it near the top, whereby the casing tends to hang vertically, a battery, vertically yieldable resilientbattery terminals at the bottom of the casing, one near the center and one near the outer edge of the battery, a `stationary center contact for i engaging thecenter terminal of the battery, a stationary ring contact concentric with the center Contact. for engaging the outer terminal ot' tbe battery, an electric lamp, a switch at the bottom ot' the casing for putting the lainp into and out of circuit with said center contact and ring Contact, and means operated b v the bail for operating said switch.

3. An electric hintern having a stationary casing. a center contact and an outer Contact concentric with the center contact mounted at the bottom of and within the casing, a switch also .mounted at the bottom of and vwithin the casing, said switch being adapted battery, a stationary casing adapted to old.

the battery in substantially fixed osition, a bail pivotally connected to the casing near the top for supporting it in vertical position, a switch near the bottomf the casing tor illuminating and extinguishing the lamp, and vertically slidable inea-ns mounted in the casing and movable relatively to it and the battery and actuated by the bail for operatingT said switch,

5. An electric lantern having a lamp, a

battery, a stationary casing for holding the .of thelamp, and a cam mechanism for operbattery in fixed. position, a bail pivotally connected to said vcasing and supporting it, a movable switch for putting the lamp into and out of electric connection with the battery, a cam plate -for operating said switch, and a rotatable cam for -movin said plate to on and oii' osition, sai cam being `rotated by said bn'il in' its swinging movement about its pivots. c

6. An electric lanternhaving ay lamp, a

battery, a stationary casing adapted to hold the battery' in substantially fixed position, a bail pivotally connected to said casing for supporting it, a'swit'ch for turning the batte current on to and oof the lamp, a roldy vertically, movable in the casing vfor operating said switch, a cam plate for operating said rod, a rotatable cam for moving said plate to `on and off position, an arm fastened to said bail and rotating in interlockin the' control ing member whereby accidental.

unison therewith, said arm being adapted to f engage said'cain and having lost motion 'bail in either direction.

7. An electric lantern liavinga lamp, a battery, a stationary casing adapted to hold the battery in substantially fixed position, a bail pivotally connected to said casing at a point near the top, a switch at the bottom of the casing'or turning vthe battery cui'- rent on to and ofi' of the'lainp, a. switchoperating member slidably mounted upon said casing for operating said switch, and

means operated by the bail and movable relatively to the casing and battery for moving said member in .accordance as the bail is swung to the iight or toward the leftl from normall upright position.

8. An electric lantern having a lamp, a battery, a stationary casing for holding the battery in fixed position, a bail pivotally connected to said casing, a switch for turning the battery current on to and olin of the lamp, a switch-operating member operated by the Swingin movement of the bail, and a screw adjusta ly mounted on said switchoperating member for engaging said switch to operate it.

9. An electric lantern having a casing, a

'battery within said casing, a lamp socket carried by the casing, a bail, means operated by the bail for switching current on and oit of thesocket, a cluster screwing into said socket, and a plurality of lamps ofdifferent colors in said cluster, said lamps having means for turning them on and off individually, whereby the operator is, without changing lamps, afforded the option of exhibiting the different colors.

10. An electric lantern having a casing, a

bail pivoted to it for supporting it, a lamp, a battery for energizing the lamp, a switch for turning the battery current onto and oit for engaging said cam, there being lost mo-' tion between the arm and the cam, and the arm being rotated Iby the bail, andyielding means between the cam and movement of the cam is prevented.

11. An electric lantern having a-casing, a bail pivoted to it for supporting it, a'lamp, a battery for energizing` the lamp, a switch for turning'the battery current onto and olf of the lamp, ar controlling` member movable relatively to the casing for operating said switch, a rotatable cani for operating said controlling member, an arin operated by the bail for rotating the cam, there beingv lost motion between the arm and the cam, and

' yielding interlocking means between the cam and the controlling member whereby accidental rotation of the cam is prevented. 12. An electric lantern having a casing, a

5 bai1. pivoted toit for supporting it, a lamp, a battery for energizing thelamp, iaswitcb for turning the battery cu rent onto and off of the lamp, a rod -vertica 1y movable in the eaing for operating said switch, a rotata- 10 ble cam for operating said rod, an arm operated bythe bail-for rotating the cam, diere mp' ost motion between the arm and the cam, and a mating depression and projection-fon the-rod and on the. cam vfor yieldingly preventing the accidental rotation of 15 the cam.

'In witness whereof I- have hereunto subscribed my naine.

. FRANK fr. BAIRD 

